Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said non-tariff barriers are a key issue in talks with the US and refuted claims that trade talks between the two countries had collapsed, despite the higher tariff of 25% that has been slapped on Malaysian goods.

Non-tariff barriers hinder US-Malaysia trade talks

Malaysia stood by certain “red lines” during trade talks with the US, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said.

Malaysia stood firm when necessary in trade talks with US, says Zafrul

BOGOTA (Oct 19): Fourteen people were killed and seven others injured following the collapse of an illegal gold mine in southwestern Colombia, local authorities said on Monday.

Fourteen dead, seven injured in Colombia illegal gold mine collapse

Peak electricity demand from the data centre industry in Peninsular Malaysia is projected to reach 8.39 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, based on the current electricity supply planning estimates, according to the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra).

Data centre industry's peak electricity demand to hit 8.39GW by 2030 — ministry

The government will examine the feasibility of expanding the implementation of electronic know-your-customer (eKYC) verification and age verification to online gaming platforms such as Roblox, said Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil.

Govt to study feasibility of eKYC, age verification for online gaming platforms like Roblox — Fahmi

A total of 30 areas nationwide recorded unhealthy air pollutant index (API) readings as of 9am on Tuesday, with Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur and Johan Setia in Selangor recording the highest readings at 172 each.

Haze: Unhealthy air in 30 areas nationwide, led by Batu Muda, Johan Setia in Klang Valley

JAKARTA (Oct 20): Indonesia's market operator further tightened stock selling restrictions on Tuesday as authorities race to contain a record-breaking rout triggered by MSCI threatening to strip the country of "emerging market" status and expel it from global indexes.

Indonesia bourse further tightens stock selling restrictions

(Oct 20): Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reiterated that she won’t rely on special deficit-covering bonds to fund a sales tax cut on food after her earlier remarks sparked speculation that she was changing her stance.

Takaichi reaffirms no deficit bonds to fund food sales tax cut

PARK CITY, Kansas (Oct 19): US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the US Department of Agriculture will launch what he called a new "harvest fuel relief programme" that will provide farmers with US$8 billion in support to offset diesel costs during the harvest season.

US to launch US$8 bil support programme for farmers to offset diesel costs, Trump says

Zero tolerance for any 'corporate mafia' cases, says Anwar

TAIPEI (Oct 20): A union representing Micron Technology workers in Taoyuan, Taiwan, said it would launch a strike on Thursday to coincide with a mediation meeting between the US chipmaker and another collective representing workers at its Taichung operations, escalating a dispute over employee bonuses.

Micron union in Taiwan to launch strike as bonus dispute escalates

The Registrar of Societies on Tuesday decided to deregister Perikatan Nasional, citing the coalition’s inadequate response to a show-cause notice issued last month.

Registrar of Societies deregisters Perikatan Nasional

The Registrar of Societies on Tuesday decided to deregister Perikatan Nasional, citing the coalition’s inadequate response to a show-cause notice issued last month.

BENGALURU (Oct 20): Oil prices fell on Tuesday as markets weighed an executive order from US President Donald Trump that waived some sanctions and tariffs tied to Russian energy exports, while attacks on Saudi Arabia and Yemen kept fears of Middle East supply disruptions in view.

Oil eases as markets assess potential waiver on Russian energy, Middle East supply risks

Former Taghill Holdings Bhd (KL:TAGHILL) chief executive officer and executive director Ng Wai Hoe has ceased to be a substantial shareholder in the construction outfit after disposing of 30 million shares.

Taghill’s former CEO Ng Wai Hoe ceases to be substantial shareholder 

Asian stocks dropped on Tuesday, breaking with a chip-led rally on Wall Street that helped the Nasdaq 100 recover from its worst week since the tariff turmoil of April 2025.

Asian stocks decline in break from US chip rally

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 20): Malaysia is considering a waiver of export tax on crude palm oil as a way to boost shipments and whittle down record-high inventories, Bloomberg reported.

Malaysia considers waiving palm oil export taxes to clear glut — Bloomberg

A rebound in chipmakers buoyed the stock market as dip buyers emerged on bets the artificial-intelligence (AI) investment boom will continue to support solid earnings.

Nasdaq 100 climbs on AI trade revival after rout

Here's a heads up on what to look out for today.

YOUR DAY AHEAD: Oct 20, 2026 

More to come

French protests largely died down after authorities rolled out tougher security measures, including targeted curfews, following cost-of-living protests over the weekend that degenerated into violence, vandalism and looting.

French unrest tapers off after tougher security measures

Amazon.com is introducing a new tool that allows its custom AI chips to run code written in the most popular AI coding language without modification, seeking to erode the advantage that underpins Nvidia's dominance in the AI computing market.

Amazon says its AI chips will work with popular coding language, challenging Nvidia

(Oct 19): CoreWeave's&nbsp;mounting debt is raising fresh concerns about the AI boom, as investors question whether demand can justify the billions being borrowed to build data centres.

Why CoreWeave's troubles are rattling the AI boom

JAKARTA (Oct 20): Indonesia's market operator further tightened stock selling restrictions on Tuesday as authorities race to contain a record-breaking rout triggered by MSCI threatening to strip the country of "emerging market" status and expel it from global indexes.

(Oct 20): Data-centre infrastructure company Elice Inc&nbsp;plunged in its trading debut in South Korea, dragged down by swirling concern about the outlook for the industry.

Data centre firm Elice plunges 33% in debut sunk by AI worry

NEW YORK (Oct 19): OpenAI is racing to secure investor commitments before rival Anthropic's expected public market debut in mid-November, in an unusually fast fundraising that could value the ChatGPT maker at over US$1.4 trillion, according to two ​people familiar with the matter.

The r...

OpenAI seeks to accelerate fundraising ahead of Anthropic IPO — Reuters

WASHINGTON (Oct 19):&nbsp;US President Donald Trump said on Monday he is open to three-way arms-control talks with the leaders of China and Russia as soon as next month, ​raising the prospect of an unprecedented meeting and a major diplomatic gambit for the US president.

"We would have ...

Trump open to idea of joint meeting with Xi, Putin next month

SYDNEY/BENGALURU (Oct 20): National Australia Bank Ltd&nbsp;said on Tuesday that it will shed up to 2,500 jobs, or about 6% of its workforce, in the next year to simplify its operations and cut costs while the nation's credit growth remains under pressure.

National Australia Bank to cut 2,500 jobs in cost overhaul as credit growth slows

(Oct 20):&nbsp;Two former JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co&nbsp;wealth management partners have left the bank to launch their own firm managing US$18.6 billion in client assets, instantly making it one of the country’s biggest registered investment advisers.&nbsp;

JPMorgan wealth advisers create firm overseeing US$18.6 bil

LONDON (Oct 19):&nbsp;Britain risks becoming a "high-value AI customer" rather than a country able to shape the technology unless it ​takes urgent action to build domestic capabilities, the government's top ‌science advisers said on Monday.

Governments around the world are racing to bui...

UK risks becoming 'AI customer' rather than creator, advisers warn

BENGALURU (Oct 19): Anthropic and Elon Musk have laid out sharply different blueprints for sharing some of the spoils of the AI boom, a split that may shape how the technology's financial windfall reaches the public.

Musk, Anthropic outline duelling approaches to AI-era philanthropy

TAIPEI (Oct 20): A union representing Micron Technology workers in Taoyuan, Taiwan, said it would launch a strike on Thursday to coincide with a mediation meeting between the US chipmaker and another collective representing workers at its Taichung operations, escalating a dispute over employee bonuses.

Izzul Ikram, Luqman Amin & Maryam Kamal

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